To Build A Home
by FangirlingForLife
Summary: When Emily finds herself in an unhappy, loveless relationship she returns to her hometown of Rosewood where she meets Alison, a girl who is trying to rebuild her life after her own tragedies. Can these two build a life together or will the past come back to haunt them both?
1. A House Is Not Always A Home

_A house is not always a home._

"Morning sleepyhead," Paige greeted, shaking her girlfriend awake.

Emily opened her eyes and let out a yawn, "Mm morning. What time is it?" She asked when she saw Paige was fully dressed with a coffee flask in her hand.

"8:30. Work called and asked me to go in early since we have meetings planned all day, so I'll probably be home around 6 tonight."

"Oh okay," Emily replied, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. "I'll do dinner an hour later tonight then."

Paige smiled gratefully and leant forward to place a chaste kiss on Emily's forehead, "See you later."

Emily nodded, "Bye." She called out as she watched the brunette gather her bag and head out of the door. When she was out of sight Emily let out a long sigh and shook her head.

This was her life now. Emily had been young when she met Paige, dropping out of Danby after only a few months of dating move to Texas with her at the age of 20, thinking that she'd have the life she'd always dreamed of. She'd always wanted to become a swim coach, but a minor injury to her back meant that she couldn't compete the way she used to but that had never put her off, instead furthering her want to train young, hopeful swimmers just like herself. But Paige had insisted that Emily didn't need a job, she'd promised that she could make enough money for the both of them to live on and she did, however money wasn't what she wanted. Paige didn't even want to consider the possibility of children in their lives until they were 35 and the idea of getting a dog practically induced Paige's allergies towards them.

Everyday was the same, Paige would go to work at 9, sometimes 8:30 if she'd been called into an early meeting and come back for 6 just in time for the dinner that Emily would make. And Emily would spend everyday at the house either cleaning or doing the grocery shopping or sometimes allowing herself to do a bit of baking. But this wasn't the life that she'd wanted, the life that she'd planned. Everything had become so meaningless like one big cycle that would never end.

After dwelling on her thoughts for a while, Emily finally pulled herself out of bed and padded down to the kitchen to make herself a coffee. She grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter and let out a grin when she saw messages from her three best friends in their group chat.

 **Han: ITS EXACTLY FIVE MONTHS FROM TODAY UNTIL THE JARIA WEDDING.**

 **Spencer: Yeah Han, we're aware. We do own calendars.**

 **Han: Someone hasn't had their morning coffee yet..**

Emily laughed at the banter between her two friends before typing her own reply.

 **Em: Five months and we'll all be reunited again :)**

 **Aria: Is it bad that I'm a little more excited for us to all be together again than getting married?**

 **Han: NO**

 **Spencer: YES just wait until I tell my brother what you've said;)**

 **Aria: You wouldn't..**

 **Spencer: Maybe not. Only because you'll be my sister in law.**

 **Han: Wow lucky u Ar**

 **Spencer: That sarcasm was unnecessary.**

Emily shook her head laughing and locked her phone as she put it back on the table. She'd missed her friends so much, moving had been so difficult on her not being able to see them everyday. Since leaving five years ago she'd only seen them twice on her birthdays and once at Christmas as Paige had openly admitted that she couldn't stand the girls and the girls had been less than happy with Paige's behaviour at Christmas dinner, so Emily had been stuck between the two.

After texting some more with her friends Emily had made herself some breakfast before showering and freshening herself up, despite her day being empty. She contemplated doing a few household chores before she found herself making her way up to the attic where she dug out all of her old high school and college photo albums.

Her eyes filled with tears as she fondly flicked through photos of her and her three best friends, her thumb gently tracing over the smile of her 17 year old self. She hadn't looked that happy in years, she could hardly remember the last time she'd smiled like that. When had Paige ever made her smile like that? Maybe in the beginning..  
Then she moved on to the college albums, in one photo taken during after one of Emily's swim meets Paige had her arm lovingly wrapped around Emily as she looked down at the brunette with an expression that Emily hadn't seen in years, it was love.

She slammed the album shut before pacing around the room before picking up her phone and calling the one person she knew could help her out.

"Hey Em" Hanna answered cheerfully, the sound of her daughter's laughter could be heard in the background.

Emily suddenly felt a wave of regret, "Did I interrupt something important?"

"Oh no its just Caleb and Liv messing around, but don't worry it doesn't matter. Whats up buttercup?"

"I think I need to break up with Paige."

Hanna let out an excited squeal, "What? Really?!"

"I don't know what to do Han. We live together we have a life together- but I don't think I want it anymore. Its not my life."

Hanna sighed, "Well if you don't want it then leave. You shouldn't have to force yourself to want it either."

"I don't want to hurt Paige though-"

"Yeah but you're also hurting yourself by forcing yourself to stay in a relationship that makes you unhappy. You shouldn't do that to yourself."

"I know," Emily admitted.

"Are you in love with her?"

Emily paused, "I love her."

"But you're not in love with her. There's a difference Em."

"Jeez Han, have you been spending too much time around Spence? Thats probably the wisest thing you've ever told me," Emily teased, she felt herself relax a little as she and Hanna shared a laugh.

"Hey! I am very wisdomous actually," Hanna argued, "But yeah Spence and Aria were round here earlier, Ar had a crisis with the wedding caterers so Spence went all Erin Brockovich on their asses."

Emily sighed, suddenly feeling a pang of sadness as she thought about how much she'd missed out on, "I'm sorry I missed that."

"Then why don't you come back to Rosewood?"

"I don't know.."

"Look I think it'll do you good. At least for a week? You need the time to clear your head and gain a fresh perspective."

The brunette closed her eyes for a moment to stop and think, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I think you're right," Emily started, laughing when Hanna mumbled, "Tell Spencer that more often."

Emily continued, "I need some time away from here, even if its not permanent.. I need to get away."

"When will you be here?"

"I'll look at flights later. I- I need to pack a bag and oh god, I need to talk to Paige. What do I say? I hope she takes this well.."

Hanna snorted, "Come on this is Paige, the girl overreacts to everything!" She ranted, "Hey, I'll use my airmiles and book you flights for tonight."

"Han, you really don't have to-"

Hanna interrupted, "Of course I don't have to, but you're my best friend and I want to. I'd offer to let you crash on our sofa but with the second baby on the way and my mom is crashing right now because she's renovating her house, there isn't much room."

"Don't worry about it, really you've done more than enough."

"I'll call Ar now and see if her place is available, she's been practically living with Jason so I'm sure she'll let you crash for a while."

Emily smiled, her heart aching a little as her friend offered all of this help, "Thank you, thank you so much."

"Its no problem Em. I'll call you when I've sorted everything out, you focus on packing okay?"

"Okay," Emily promised before hanging up the phone.

Immediately the brunette headed back downstairs to the bedroom, grabbing her photo albums on the way. She pulled out the largest suitcase she could find and began to shove in any of her clothes that she could find. After a good half an hour she felt her phone buzz beside her, answering straight away when she saw Aria's name light up her screen.

"Hey Ar," Emily greeted, trying to sound calm and collected.

"Hey Em, is it true that you're coming back to Rosewood? Hanna just called and she didn't say much but you are more than welcome to stay at mine."

"Yeah its true. Thank you, I'd really appreciate that but only if I'm not imposing."

Aria smiled, "Em you would never be imposing. It'll be great to see you again, but is everything okay?"

"Not really, but I'll fill you and Spence in when I get there. Are you sure this is okay?"

"Yes its fine," Aria reassured, "The only reason I still have this apartment is because my lease isn't up for a couple more months so you are free to have the place to yourself for a while if you need it. Besides I'm sure Ali would appreciate the company."

"Ali?"

"Oh she's my neighbour, she lives in the apartment opposite and we're the only two occupants on the third floor right now so she must get lonely without me there. I'll have to introduce you both when you get here, I think you'll like her."

"Thanks Ar," Emily replied, "I need to get back to packing now, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Em, stay safe."

* * *

After spending the majority of her afternoon packing clothes and boxing up her personal items it was now close to 6pm and Emily was completely ready to go, now all she had to do was wait on Paige's return. She felt herself getting increasingly nervous as her eyes shifted between the grandfather clock in the lounge and the front window.

She stood up and began pacing around the room until she heard Paige's keys turning in the door. She stopped in her tracks as her heart rate began to increase, she gripped the edge of the sofa for support as Paige made her way into the room.

"Hey babe," Paige entranced, her grin fell from her face when she saw Emily grabbing onto her suitcase. "Whats going on?"

Emily burst into tears, "I am so sorry."

"You're scaring me, sorry for what?"

"I- I can't do this anymore Paige. I can't be with you. I need to get away from here, and clear my head. I'm sorry," Emily answered as she gripped her suitcase tightly.

Paige ran her hand through her hair looking bewildered, "Sit down, we should at least talk about this first. Maybe- maybe I can change your mind and you can stay. We can work this out."

"No," Emily answered firmly, "There is nothing to talk about. I should've done this sooner. I hate to say this, but- but I'm not in love with you anymore and I haven't been for a long time. I've been miserable here, this isn't what I want anymore."

"But you can't just leave. This is your home Em, your life is here." Paige stated, her voice wobbling.

"Its not, its not my home. This is just a place where I don't feel like I belong. This isn't my life anymore, this is your life and I don't fit into it anymore."

"Is it because I'm working too much?" Paige questioned, her voice laced with desperation, "Because I can cut my hours down- and I'll spend more time with you and-"

Emily sighed, "No its not just that. I'm just not feeling happy here. I need some time alone and away from you, I'm going back to Rosewood at least for a little while. I really hope you understand and I am so sorry."

"You're just going to leave me?"

Tears started to roll down Emily's face as she nodded, "I'm so sorry." She turned one last time to look at Paige before wheeling her suitcase towards the front door, "I've boxed up the rest of my things, I didn't know what to do with them so I'll call you later. Once I've had the space I need I will call and we'll talk things over."

She turned away again and pulled her case out of the front door, her cab was already waiting in front of their drive. After she'd piled her bags into the car she quickly got into the passenger seat. She pulled out her phone and typed a quick message to Hanna before shoving her phone in her bag as the driver pulled away, she never once looked back.

* * *

The next morning Emily found herself at the arrivals at Philadelphia airport where she was immediately greeted by the sound of Hanna's excited squeal and the familiar faces of her three best friends.

"Hey Em, over here!" Hanna exclaimed loudly, her arms waving frantically in the air.

Spencer rolled her eyes, "Because she would never have found us on her own."

Emily let out a wide grin as she heard her friends bicker between them, once she was in close proximity they all pulled her into one big hug, "Its so good to see you again. I can't believe I'm here," Emily admitted, enjoying the warmth of her friends' hugs.

"We're glad to have you back," Spencer replied, holding out her arm to take Emily's bag for her.

Hanna linked her arm through Emily's, "It is so good to have the girls back together. Ugh I am so excited, there is so much we all have to do together I have so many plans!"

Spencer, Aria and Emily all shook their head at the blonde, "I think we should let Em settle in first," Aria suggested, Emily shot her a grateful look.

"I know I know. I'm just giving her something to look forward to."

Emily smiled, "Thanks Han, I appreciate it."

The group all made their way outside to Spencer's car where they all piled in and headed towards Rosewood. The journey flew by as Hanna continuously rambled about everything that had happened in Rosewood over the last five years, most of it Emily knew after staying in contact with the girls but she decided to humour Hanna anyway and let the blonde continue.

Eventually they made it to Aria's apartment complex, the apartment itself was quaint and cosy which made Emily feel at ease right away. After Spencer had made the girls some tea and Hanna had continued to update Emily on all of Rosewood's juiciest gossip, the two girls had eventually left to return to their usual lives allowing Emily to settle in.

"I've emptied out most of my closet so theres room for you to unpack all of your things and I've restocked the fridge so you won't have to go out and buy anything for a while but if theres anything else that you need or if you just want some company I won't be far. I've written down Jason's address if you want to come and visit at any time but I'll come by tomorrow to make sure that you're okay."

Emily pulled the short brunette into a hug, "Thank you, for all of this. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Aria smiled, "Its no problem, just take care of yourself Em."

"I will," Emily promised, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Aria pulled away from her friend, grabbed her bag and handed Emily the front door key, "Remember I'm just a phone call away and so are Spence and Hanna. Please get comfy and make yourself at home."

With that she left Emily to herself again. After taking a few moments to take in her surroundings she finally moved from the sofa and headed into the bedroom where she tackled the task of unpacking to allow herself to feel more comfortable.

Not long after she was soon interrupted by a soft knock on the door, frowning she quickly padded over to the door and began to unlock it feeling puzzled at who her mystery guest could be.

Her heart almost stopped as she opened the door to reveal a beautiful blonde on the other side, "Hi?"

The blonde frowned a little as her bright blue orbs met Emily's own chocolate brown eyes, "Hi, uhm- is Aria here? I thought I heard her voice and I wanted to come say hello."

Emily offered her a polite smile, "Oh no she's not here right now. I'm her friend, she's letting me crash here for a while."

Alison blinked a little, trying not to let herself be captivated by this mystery brunette, instead she gave off a teasing smile. "So I guess you're my new neighbour then?"

Emily felt her heart skip a beat and her own smile formed, "I guess so."

"So new neighbour, do you have a name?"

Emily blushed and inwardly cursed at her awkwardness "Yes uhm- my name.. My name is Emily, Emily Fields."

"Its nice to meet you Emily," Alison stated, offering out her hand. "I'm Alison DiLaurentis."

 **AN: I really hope you enjoy this story, please leave a review and let me know what you think and if I should continue!:) Sorry for any errors its currently 3am but this idea came to my head and I couldn't help but have to type it up. For now I'll rate it as a strong T but it may change to an M rating later on.**


	2. Feels Like Home

"Di-Dilaurentis?" Emily stuttered a little, wondering where she knew that name from.

"Thats the one."

Emily blushed, "I'm sorry. It just sounds familiar." She apologised suddenly feeling extremely nervous and self conscious around this new blonde. "So uhm- you wanted to see Aria?"

"The other day she wanted to update me about some wedding details. She wants me to make sure Jason has his vows ready or something," Alison joked, rolling her eyes jokingly.

"Jason?" Suddenly everything started to make sense, "You're his sister?"

"Yeah, well his half sister actually. Its a long story actually, its uhm-"

"Pretty complicated?" Emily finished.

"That would be an understatement," Alison agreed grinning, "Do you know when she'll be back? She's been M.I.A for the last couple of days and so have Hanna and Spencer."

"That would be my fault," Emily replied looking down guiltily, "I came here for a last minute trip and they've been helping me out a lot."

"So you stole my friends from me then, newbie?" Alison teased, smirking a little.

"Well they were my friends first," Emily joked back, Alison shook her head with laughter.

She smiled, "Touché. I can't really argue with that, they talk about you a lot I feel like I almost know you."

"I'm glad to hear that they never forgot about me."

"I get the feeling that they could never forget you." Alison stated before pausing a little. "How long are you here for?"

Emily shrugged as a delicate smile graced her lips, "I'm not sure at the moment, for the foreseeable future."

"So then we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

Emily felt her heart speed up, feeling surprised that Alison couldn't hear her heart beating heavily against her chest, "Yeah, I guess we will."

"See you around, newbie." Alison teased one last time before turning away and heading back to her own apartment.

Emily shut the door behind her as she rested her head against it slightly, "See you around" She muttered. For some unexplainable reason she suddenly felt more excited and prospectus about Rosewood than she had before. Had that encounter just happened? And what was it about Alison that had suddenly changed her whole perspective on her stay in Rosewood? It had only been a friendly conversation.. well Alison had definitely flirted a little, hadn't she? Emily's inner conflict carried on for a few more moments until she finally shook her head and refocused her attention onto her unpacking and settling herself in, telling herself not to overthink the presence of this new blonde in her life.

* * *

The next morning Emily was awoken by a loud knocking at her door, she tentatively opened her eyes and let out a wide yawn before clambering out of bed and padding over to the door. Her mind immediately went to thoughts of Alison and their conversation last night and she found herself almost disappointed when the blonde waiting on the other side was Hanna.

"Morning," Hanna greeted chirpily as she stepped into the apartment.

Emily raised an eyebrows and yawned a little, "Han, what are you doing here?"

"Its coffee morning," Hanna stated matter-of-factly.

Emily glanced at the wall clock, "But its 9am and I was trying to sleep."

"Every Wednesday at 9:30 me, Aria and Spencer all have coffee together at The Brew. Now you were excluded from this coffee morning because you were in Texas, but now you're here you have no excuse. Now go get ready."

"Fine," Emily replied as she rolled her eyes, not wanting to argue with the blonde because she knew she'd lose anyway.

After throwing on a clean outfit and touching up her hair the two best friends set off for The Brew in Hanna's car.

"So how was your first night back in Rosewood yesterday?"

"It wasn't too bad," Emily answered as she stared out of the car window, passing through the town. "I've missed it here, its good to be back."

"So no regrets?"

"No regrets," Emily repeated with a small smile.

Hanna smiled, "Good, so you think you'll end up moving back here for good?"

"Maybe, I mean I'd have to find a job first and a place to live too but-"

"You have time before you need to start worrying about that, besides we're all here to help you with that too."

"I know."

"And anyway, you can't leave before this one is born," Hanna stated, taking one hand off of the steering wheel to rub her stomach. "And then theres Ar's wedding too, so you can't leave before that."

"I won't."

"Good."

Emily grinned and teased, "You missed me didn't you?"

"Did not," Hanna retorted as she poked her tongue out at Emily before confessing, "Maybe a little bit."

"Aww cute," Emily cooed in a teasing manner, "But I promise, I won't be going anywhere for a long while anyway."

"Good because this is how it always should have been. When we were younger this is how I always imagined us- you, me, Aria and Spencer. All living in Rosewood together and kicking ass. And then you went and ruined that vision by moving away to Texas! And yeah, I love Aria and Spencer to pieces but it just hasn't been the same without you."

Emily looked down, suddenly feeling a little guilty, "I'm sorry."

"I'm just saying, the next time you meet a hot girl who makes you fall in love with her and then asks you to move to Texas I will kick her snooty ass like I should have done to Paige, oh I would have enjoyed doing that to her."

Emily laughed a little, "Come on Han- Paige wasn't that bad."

"Oh please Em, you could do so much better. And you will. Even if I have to find you someone myself."

"I think I'm more than capable of finding someone myself Han," Emily replied, laughing slightly.

Not long after Hanna pulled up outside of the Brew and the two friends made their way inside to find Aria and Spencer were already sat waiting at the table for them. They were both greeted with friendly smiles.

"Hey Han. Hey Em, how was your first night back here?" Aria greeted, before sipping her latte.

Emily smiled as she slotted herself onto the sofa next to Spencer, "It was good thank you, your apartment is perfect as well thank you."

"Well its good to see you here with us this morning," Spencer stated.

Hanna stood up, "Em, I'm gonna go get a coffee- do you want anything?"

"I'll have an Americano please."

Spencer's head turned as she stood up next to the blonde, "Hanna." She warned, "No coffee! Remember, I told you to stick to green tea only."

"Jeez, you're worse than Caleb." Hanna moaned rolling her eyes, "You know if you weren't a girl people would totally think you're the baby daddy."

Both Aria and Emily exchanged a laugh at their friends' antics before watching the two friends walk off to the counter together, still bickering.

"So I met Alison last night," Emily started, unsure of where exactly she was going with this conversation. However, she found herself unable to stop herself from speaking about the blonde.

Aria smiled, "Oh really? What did you think of her? She's done so much to help me out for the wedding.."

"Yeah she seemed.. nice. I think she was looking for you last night, she wants to talk to you about something?"

"Oh that'll be about the wedding, she's been super helpful these past few months with organising everything. I was gonna invite her over for dinner tomorrow you should totally come too, so you can get to know her."

"Okay," Emily said before pausing for a moment to consider something, "Yeah I'd like that."

A few moments later Hanna and Spencer returned to the table with a defeated looking Hanna, "She made me order a green tea," She whined.

Spencer shot her friends a triumphant look, "Never argue with a lawyer."

The four friends carried on talking and gossiping when they were suddenly interrupted by the waitress bringing over their drinks.

"Emily?" A sweet voice asked, causing Emily to turn around.

"Sabrina?" She replied happily, smiling at the blonde, "What are you doing back here?"

Emily and Sabrina had attended Danby together before Emily had moved to Texas with Paige, they'd dated on and off for a while until ultimately deciding to remain friends shortly before Emily had met Paige.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Emily exclaimed, "What has it been, over 5 years?"

Sabrina nodded as she placed the girls' drinks on their table, "It must be. I came back last year and I've started a new course at Hollis. What are you doing here?"

"Things are over with Paige, so I decided to come back here for a while."

"Well its good to see you again, we should catch up soon."

"Definitely."

Sabrina pulled out her notepad and scribbled her number down before tearing the page and handing it to Emily, "Text me sometime."

"Okay," Emily promised as Sabrina walked back to the counter.

"You've been back for one day and you already have a date, how do you do it Emily Fields?" Hanna asked, still in awe.

Emily shook her head and laughed, "Its so not a date. Just two friends catching up."

"Oh come on, she is still so into you!" Aria pointed out, causing Emily to blush.

She shrugged, "It'll just be coffee and a chat, no big deal."

"Whatever you say Em," Hanna replied, still shaking her head.

"Back me up here Spence?" Emily pleaded, Spencer simply laughed.

"Sorry, I've gotta side with them on this one."

Hanna laughed and high fived Spencer, "She is hot and you did always have a thing for blondes."

Emily blushed as her mind wandered back to thoughts of Alison, "Can we change the subject please?"

"So I know that its getting closer and closer to the wedding- but I was thinking about asking Ali to be a bridesmaid too. She's been so helpful and supportive these last few months and she's really got on well with you guys too. What do you think?" Aria asked, looking at both Hanna and Spencer.

Emily felt her heart start to race as the blond was mentioned, eagerly awaiting the responses of her friends.

"Well I think thats a great idea," Hanna answered, "She's really helped me out with advertising for the store. Hey, we should invite her to coffee morning too!"

Emily stared intensely waiting for Aria's response. "I did invite her to come this week, but she has a class to teach at 9 so she couldn't make it. Spence, what do you think?"

"Well she is technically my family.." Spencer answered, a little tentatively, "I don't see why she shouldn't."

"Good," Aria replied with a smile, she turned to Emily, "I hope you don't mind, I know you don't really know her but this could be a good way for you to get to know her."

Emily tried not to look as enthusiastic as she felt, "Sure, no I don't mind at all."

"So its settled then."

* * *

Another night had passed in Rosewood for Emily and after spending a day with Hanna helping to set up baby number two's nursery she was back in her apartment to get ready for her dinner with Alison, Aria and Jason.

Glancing at the clock, she'd calculated that she still had another 20 minutes until she had to leave to make her way over to Jason's house. She poured herself a glass of wine to help calm her nerves before grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.

She was only halfway through her wine when she heard a knock at the door, frowning at the unexpected visitor she quickly got up from her spot on the sofa and made her way over to the door.

"Hi newbie," Alison greeted with a small smile.

Emily's frown suddenly disappeared and her breath caught in her throat, "Hey. Uhm what are you doing here?"

"Well I know you're joining us for dinner so I thought I'd come offer you a ride? I mean- it would just be more convenient that way," Alison explained, trying to keep herself calm and collected.

"Right," Emily agreed, feeling a little touched that Alison had bothered to think about her, "It would. That would be great, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Alison replied.

She quickly grabbed her purse and shut off the TV before joining Alison. The elevator ride had been comfortably silent and Emily couldn't help but notice that today Ali had curled her hair and she just couldn't help but notice the way those curls had perfectly framed her face. She'd worn a soft silver eye shadow that had made her steely blue eyes pop, making them seem even more inviting. And then there were her perfect pink lips which were poised into a small smile which-

"So have you met Jason before?" Alison asked, bringing Emily back into reality.

She nodded, "Only once at a Christmas dinner, I never really got the chance to talk to him though. But both Han and Spence approve which is good enough for me."

Ali smiled as the elevator dinged open and they exited, "I'm glad he passed the test then."

When they finally approached an old white 1970 Mini Cooper, Emily turned to Alison and shot her a quizzical look.

"What?" Alison asked, with a grin.

Emily shrugged, "Just not the sort of car I'd picture you having."

"What can I say.. I'm just full of surprises," Alison stated, winking at Emily, causing her heart to flutter slightly.

"I gotta say, it is pretty cool," Emily admitted, causing Alison to smile wider.

Once Ali had unlocked the car the two piled in before she switched on the ignition. Emily shuddered slightly at the unhealthy sound of the engine, Alison caught the look and poked her tongue out at the brunette.

"So maybe she doesn't sound too healthy.." Alison stated, "But she runs like a beauty.. and I'm not ready to give her up yet."

Emily smiled at Ali's endearing explanation as she began to drive. The ride over was comfortably silent as Emily reacquainted herself with the familiar sights of Rosewood again

"Did you missed this place?" Alison asked amusedly, noticing Emily's face pressed up against the glass of the passenger window. "Don't go leaving marks on my lovely clean windows."

Emily pulled back sheepishly, "Sorry. Yeah, I guess I missed it more than I ever realised. Its weird how everything has changed and yet at the same time everything still feels the same."

"I understand," Alison replied, "I still feel the same way about Savannah."

"That where you grew up?" Emily asked inquisitively.

Alison nodded, "Yep, I was born in Philadelphia but my family moved to Savannah when I was young, because my grandma lives there."

"When did you move to Rosewood? I definitely don't recognise you- and I don't think I could ever have forgotten you," Emily stated, wanting to kick herself at how lame she sounded.

Alison smirked, "Thanks newbie," She replied, "I've only been here about 3 years, Jason moved here before me and I decided to move and join him in the end."

"You two are close?"

She nodded, "We haven't always been, our relationship wasn't always the easiest.. its only in the last few years since we've grown close."

Emily decided not to push for an explanation, sensing that it was an uneasy topic. The rest of the car ride was silent as Emily found herself taking in her surroundings again and reminding herself of a life before Paige.

When they pulled up Alison shut off the engine and shot Emily a triumphant look, "Told you my car was just fine."

Emily rolled her eyes and smiled, "Oh come on, it sounds like it'll break down any day from now."

"Twenty bucks says it won't," Alison challenged.

Emily grinned, "Done. But you're gonna regret this, and you're so gonna regret losing that twenty bucks when your car needs fixing."

"Oh honey, I'm never wrong."

"We'll just have to see about that," Emily retorted, the two locked eyes and gave each other a winning smile.

In that moment Alison just knew that losing to Emily Fields wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

 **A** **N: Sorry this took me so long to update, I've been on holiday for the last 10 days with very little wifi so I haven't been able to upload anything. But I should be posting new chapters regularly a few times or at least once a week. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and let me know if theres anything else you want to see happen :)**


	3. Jealous

"You both made it!" Aria exclaimed excitedly as she pulled her two friends into a hug.

"Wouldn't miss it," Emily stated with a wide grin, hugging her tiny friend back.

Aria pulled back, "How did you both get here at the same time?"

"I gave her a ride," Alison replied, sending Emily a knowing look, "She just loves my car."

"Ugh honestly that thing is gonna have a break down any day!"

Jason suddenly appeared at his finances side, "Thats what I tell her everyday. Hey Emily, its good to see you again," He said with a welcoming smile as he put his arm around Aria's waist.

"You too Jason."

Alison whacked her brother's arm as the four all made their way out of the foyer and into the lounge, "You're supposed to be on my side."

He poked his tongue out at her and grinned, "So how does it feel to be back in Rosewood?" He asked as he turned to Emily.

She shrugged, "Its strange, it almost feels like I never left."

He smiled, "I think that you can leave Rosewood but Rosewood never really leaves you."

"Its like nothing has changed at all,' She replied, nodding in agreement with Jason's statement.

"Even the same people are asking you out again," Aria teased, causing Emily to blush.

Alison felt her heartbeat speed up and her curiosity peak as she turned to Emily, "Damn newbie, that was fast."

Emily shrugged and felt her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red, "I ran into an old ex-girlfriend of mine and she said we should meet up for coffee. It is not a date!"

"Interesting," Alison muttered to herself, unheard by the rest of the group.

"Oh it so is a date," Aria teased, "Sabrina was totally into you, I can't believe you didn't notice the way she kept looking at you!"

"Sabrina from the Brew?" Alison asked curiously, feeling an unfamiliar rush of jealousy.

Emily nodded, "Oh, she's nice.. So are you gonna go on this date?"

"Not a date!" Emily exclaimed before she shrugged, "I suppose I'll go, it'll be nice to catch up again."

Aria excused herself for a moment as she went to check on the food. Emily turned to Jason, "So how is the counselling practice going?"

"Really great," Jason answered as his face lit up, "Its so rewarding helping out students, we've been doing a lot of work at Rosewood High with them."

"And it means you get to see me everyday," Alison joked.

"You teach?"

"English. They warned me not to teach a subject that I loved, I really should have listened."

"Is it really that bad?" Emily asked, laughing.

"No I guess it can be so rewarding at time," Alison answered honestly, "But I wish the 10th graders would actually appreciate the great works of Dickens."

Emily pulled a face and replied, "I think I'm with the kids on that one. But I did fall in love with Great Expectations."

Alison smiled, "Great expectations is one of my favorites too."

"Its one of the only books I ever really enjoyed, But I'm sure I would've paid much more attention if you were my high school English teacher," Emily replied before blushing when she realized what she'd said, "I mean-"

"Thanks newbie," Alison replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

Emily rolled her eyes, "You call me newbie, but you do realize I lived here before you right?"

"I know," She answered, "But I just love how much you hate it."

Before Emily could reply Aria called the three into the kitchen for dinner. The meal went by quickly with the conversation flowing smoothly between the four, Aria and Jason spoke about their wedding details and plans whilst Ali and Em would offer their input and suggestions in.

"So Ali, do you know if you're bringing a plus one or not yet?" Aria asked after Emily had excused herself from the table to go to the bathroom.

Alison shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"How are things going with you and Lorenzo? You haven't mentioned him in a while."

"They're okay. We haven't spent much time together lately, but I'll find out what he's doing and ask him if he can make it to the wedding. He's been working a lot," Alison lied with a sigh as she stared at Emily's empty chair, suddenly feeling a little guilty. It was partly true that he had been working but Alison had also been avoiding his calls a lot, unsure as to if her feelings were real for him which she'd been beginning to question more and more each day.

Jason shot her a look of concern, "He's treating you right?"

"Yes," Alison answered with a smile, laughing at Jason's protective nature, "He is."

"Good."

"You and Em seem to be getting along," Aria observed, causing Alison's heart rate to rise. She surely couldn't have picked up on her slight crush towards her? Alison mused to herself for a moment, this was obscene, she didn't have a crush on Emily.. No it was purely just the development of a good friendship that was all. Just friends.

"W-what do you mean?" For the first time in her life Alison found herself stuttering slightly as she blushed. Aria and Jason both exchanged a puzzled glance.

"You and Em, you're becoming good friends right?"

Alison felt herself relax, "Oh yeah, I guess we are."

Emily soon returned from the bathroom and conversation began to flow lightly again until Alison glanced at the clock and muttered something about needing to leave because of an early staff meeting tomorrow.

"Thank you for having me over," Emily said as the four made their way to the front door.

"Its our pleasure Em, its good to have you back here," Aria replied, hugging her friend.

"We should all do this again sometime," Jason stated, the three all agreed.

Emily nodded, "I'd like that."

"See you tomorrow Jase," Alison said to her brother before turning to Aria, "I'll text you tomorrow."

"Okay and let me know when you find out about Lorenzo."

Alison gave her a tight smile, "I will."

With that Alison and Emily turned and walked back to Alison's car as Aria and Jason stood watching them as they drove off. He slipped an arm around his fiancé's waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Do you think Ali seemed a little different tonight at all?" He asked, thinking out loud.

"Maybe a little, I don't know. Why?"

"Just a feeling," Jason replied before shrugging, "Its probably nothing."

* * *

"So tonight was fun," Emily remarked as she and Ali entered their apartment building.

Alison nodded in agreement, "Definitely."

"And your car even made it back here without breaking down, I'm impressed," Emily teased, causing Alison to elbow her in the rib lightly.

"Hey! It is perfectly healthy for your information."

"Keep telling yourself that."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they stepped into the elevator. They soon arrived on the third floor and stopped when they reached Emily's apartment. She soon began fumbling for her keys.

"So uhm, this is kind of embarrassing," Emily started, pulling her key from her bag, "But I need to write my resume if I'm going to start applying for jobs here- and I guess its been a while and well- since you're an English teacher and- Do you think you could help me out?"

Alison smiled, "Of course I can."

"Thank you. Are you busy now?"

Alison hesitated, "I- I probably should be getting to sleep soon I have that staff meeting in the morning so-"

"Don't worry," Emily stopped her, "Another time?"

"Another time."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"So good night," Alison said, smiling at Emily before turning away, feeling guilty that she'd turned down her offer. Why had she turned down the offer? Sure she had that meeting but really the early mornings never bothered her, she knew she could've stayed and helped her..

She dug the keys out of her bag and opened her door, turning around one last time to find Emily already gone. She let out a sigh and made her way inside, setting her bag down on the table. She grabbed her TV remote before plopping herself down on her couch and sliding her shoes off.

She began to flick through the channels absentmindedly as she thought back to the events of the evening. Why was it that the thought of Emily going on a date with another girl had made her feel jealous, she was Alison DiLaurentis, jealousy had never been an emotion associated with her. And yet here she was, jealous of a girl who she barely even knew going on a date with someone else. She tried to reason with herself, maybe it was because her own love life was looking particularly dire at the moment, she and Lorenzo had been getting on but he wasn't exactly the love of her life. That spark seemed to be missing. She shook her head as her mind wandered back to Emily, she definitely was not jealous nor feeling protective over the new brunette in her life, they were just friends and that was all. Sure, she had to admit that Emily was attractive but anyone could see that. She wasn't attracted to her, no, Emily was simply just an attractive human being. Besides, she was straight. Right?

Meanwhile in Emily's apartment Emily also found herself replaying the events of the evening in her mind. Aria was right, Sabrina had been hinting at a date with her and five years ago she would have found herself excited at the prospect of it. But now something seemed to be holding her back and she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was or why. She grabbed her laptop from her suitcase and switched it on to begin working on her resume.

Without so much as a thought Alison found herself getting up from the sofa and grabbing the bottle of wine from the table before padding over to Emily's apartment, even forgetting to put her shoes on.

She knocked on the door eagerly and smiled when Emily opened the door with a surprised look on her face. "Ali, what are you doing here?"

She held up the bottle of wine, "Well I found this in the fridge and whats that saying- sharing is caring right? Besides I thought I'd come and help you out with your resume, if you still want my help?"

"Of course, come in," Emily said as she ushered Alison into her apartment. "Don't you need to be up early for your meeting tomorrow though?"

Alison smiled to herself, "Guess I'm not as tired as I thought I was after all. So are you ready to write a kickass resume?"

"Maybe after a glass of wine," Emily joked as she grabbed two empty glasses from the cupboard before taking the bottle from Alison and pouring out the liquid. She handed the blonde a glass before taking a sip from her own.

"So what sort of jobs were you thinking of?"

"Honestly.." Emily began, "Anything that I can find. Its been a couple of years I've had a job and I'm just ready to get back out there and work. So y'know, we're gonna have to write a pretty great resume here."

Alison smiled at Emily's determination, "No pressure then."

"I really appreciate the help," Emily replied, reaching over and grabbing Alison's hand before squeezing it, she jumped a little at the contact before looking up and smiling at the brunette.

"Anytime. I mean it. Thats what friends are for, right."

Emily nodded and sighed inwardly. 'Friends'. And there she was, in the friend zone. "Right," Emily agreed.

"So why exactly haven't you been working for the last two years? If you don't mind me asking.."

"Its a long story, how long do you have?"

"For you, all night."

Emily gave Ali a small smile before shaking her head, "I'll tell you another time."

Sensing that she shouldn't push Emily on the subject, Alison dropped it, "So are you ready to start?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the others it isn't my favorite one but there are good things coming;) hope you enjoyed it anyway, please leave a review and let me know what you thought of it. The next one should be up in the next few days :)**


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